Political Factions Submit Demands for Joining Government

ICEJ News Briefs

With the clock ticking on negotiations to form a new government, the Right-wing parties incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will need to build his coalition were already beginning to list their demands on Monday. Union of Right-Wing Party MK Bezalel Smotrich has let it be known that he wants to be Minister of Justice, making a speech on Monday in which he said that he would like to infuse large numbers of Jewish residents into West Bank communities such as Hebron. “Hebron is a large city. There is a lot of space here for many Jews to redeem this city, which will allow us to draw strength from the strong connection to the city of our forefathers,” Smotrich said.

The speech came as Deputy Defense Minister Eli Ben-Dahan from the defunct Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home) party made a speech Monday at the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron in which he said “We are praying that we will create a new government, a government that will declare sovereignty on Judea and Samaria…with God’s help we will declare that Judea and Samaria is an inseparable part of Israel.”

In related news, a senior White House official told the Jewish Telegraph Agency on Monday that “The two-state solution term means different things to different people. There is no point in using a phrase that never achieved peace. Our plan provides a clear, realistic and detailed vision of what peace could actually look like.”

Here is a video which gives some analysis of the political situation in Israel following the recent election, including the effect of US-proposed plans for advancing US-Palestinian relations

Over 160,000 Israelis Visit National Parks on Earth Day

Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority reported on Monday evening that over 160,000 people had taken advantage of Earth Day and the Passover holidays that many employers are giving to visit the countries nature reserves, despite lingering cool weather and rain in some areas. Officials noted that the weather didn’t seem to deter people from enjoying the many wide open spaces in the Jewish State while some visitors added that the winter’s heavy rains have brought many dry areas back to life.

Hezbollah Leader Denies War Rumors

Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Iranian-backed Lebenese Shi’ite terror militia Hezbollah, issued a statement on Monday denying earlier reports in the Arab media that he had predicted a war between his organization and Israel this summer, saying Israel wouldn’t dare fight. “Although the Resistance always prepares for the worst possibilities, I personally tend to rule out the possibility of witnessing an Israeli war on Lebanon because the enemy’s ‘home’ front is not ready for that,” he said.

“Neither the air force nor the ground forces can settle the battle in favor of the Israeli enemy,” Nasrallah continued, adding that “the Zionists themselves acknowledge that their infantry troops are unable to wage any war.”

PA Threatens to Halt Cooperation with Israel

The PLO Central Council (PCC) announced this week that it is preparing to discuss a suspension of all relations, including security coordination with Israel, at its upcoming meetings on 15 May, which will follow a series of consultative meetings between PA President Mahmoud Abbas and leaders from European and Moslem countries in the coming weeks. The announcement was one of many made in recent days ahead of the expected rollout of US President Donald Trump’s so-called “deal of the century” later this summer.

During the meetings, Abbas is expected to ask for support for his refusal to accept the plan, which neither he nor any other PA official has yet seen.

In related news, Israeli police and security units have stepped up operations in the West Bank in recent days, arresting several suspects and rolling up an illegal weapons manufacturing operation in the village of Jaba overnight Monday.

Today's Media is the Resurection Sunday Sunrise Service message from Christchurch, Jerusalem